6) Click the Save button to export the file at a target location as a black & white PDF.

The newly saved file is stripped of the color completely.

Any rasterized image formats, vector graphics, embedded fonts and other content in your PDF becomes black and white. Depending on the layout, the number of images and their sizes and other factors, the resulting PDF may have a smaller or greater file size than the original.

The original PDF file with colors, at left, and its converted B&W version, at right.

If the original PDF is just a rasterized image such as a JPEG file, then applying the black and white filter may significantly reduce its file size. The black & white filter does not use dithering techniques to simulate shades of grey on monochromatic images, meaning your resulting document will look like an old photocopy of the original.

To give your PDF the smooth gradients, use the Gray Tone filter instead.

TIP: If you convert PDF files to black and white on a regular basis, consider automating the whole process by taking advantage of Automator to expedite the job.

The monochromatic filter is handy when printing school project, newsletters and other colorful designs via a black and white laser printer, without trusting the printer to do the conversion.

However, you’ll still want to select a specific option for black and white in your printer driver to avoid using color inks for printing a monochromatic PDF.

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